A weekly recounting of the weekend adventures of Tom Kotynski, retired Great Falls Tribune Associate Editor, who prowls Montana's mountains and communities' happenings. All photos and writing are copyright Tom Kotynski.

About Me

Monday, May 30, 2016

See the alpine wildflowers on Rogers Pass NOW!!!

The blue Forget-Me-Not and pink Douglasia alpine flowers dominated the area around Rodgers Peak

Katie on top

Red Mountain to the north is still very snow-covered

We found caches of lady bugs clustered on the rocks at top

A bouquet of Forget-Me-Not flowers

Katie in a field of alpine flowers

The alpine wildflowers are in full bloom on top of Rogers Pass. Don't miss this annual show.
Katie and I climbed Rogers Peak to the east of the pass on Sunday, gaining about 1,500 feet over 2 miles, and were treated to a floral display of blue Forget-Me-Nots, pink Douglasia, and Yellowstone Draba on a windy day.
The trail on both sides of the highway is the Continental Divide Trail, a real treasure for those of us living near it in Great Falls --- only an hour away!
On the east side it switchbacks to the top of a red-green arguilite peak where the Continental Divide snakes to the east and south through short, alpine grass and occasional outcrops.
Views from here are exceptional and include the highest point in the Scapegoat Wilderness: Red Mountain to the northwest, the Front peaks like Caribou, and the buttes and foothills from the Plains and the Highwoods, Little Belts, Gates of the Mountains ranges.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day seems always stormy and it was no exception this year. I didn't let that stop me from doing Pioneer Ridge to 7,000 feet. I would have done the traverse to the north that we did Wednesday, but on my way down that ridge it started to snow pretty hard, the ground covered with white quickly and I got a bit wet, having to change layers several times.

I saw plenty of flowers, got a chance to spend some time enjoying the roaring Belt Creek near the Belt Creek Ranger Station, and stretched my legs --- getting about 2,000 feet of elevation over four miles round trip.

There are years I ski on this day, but I was satisfied with this wet hike.

New 2015 Front Book edition now available

2006 Front book updates and corrections

On Feb. 24, 2008 I posted updates and corrections for the 2006 edition of my book, "Discover the Rocky Mountain Front." This has been corrected in the second, 2015 edition, released June 10, 2015. In the First Edition, these are important for a number of reasons. First, there's an significant correction to the Muddy Creek Falls hike. Second, there's an update on trails affected by the 2007 fires season. Finally, there is a land ownership change in the Falls Creek Roadless Area, effectively closing the area from the Dearborn River.To find these updates you can go to the archive and look for February 2008, or search for "Front book updates."I will also be glad to e-mail these to anyone who asks. Contact me at: tomkotynski@msn.com and put "front updates" in the title line.Tom KotynskiFebruary 2008